


A Man's Very Best Friend

by The_Most_Obvious_Sherlockian



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Dog Castiel, Jessica Moore Lives, Lawyer Sam Winchester, M/M, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Skinwalker, Skinwalker Castiel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-14 07:36:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4556226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Most_Obvious_Sherlockian/pseuds/The_Most_Obvious_Sherlockian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean is a mechanic living with his best friend, a Newfoundland named Castiel, and on and off with his law student brother Sam- who can't decide if he really wants to move back in with his girlfriend. Sam took Castiel to see a few family friends in a few states over, but Dean had to stay home for work. Needless to say, he's excited to see his dog again. Cas is excited too, and decides to reveal something a little bizarre.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Back Home

Dean rolled out from under the car he was working on when he thought he heard his ringtone. Sure enough, on the hood of the '64 Falcon, his phone was alight and vibrating. Dean answered before reading the caller ID. He knew exactly what it said.

"Hey Sammy!" he said, a little too eager. He walked out of his shop even though, because it was a Saturday, he was the only one working.

 _"Hey Dean. I'm- uh,”_ there was the sound of something crashing to the ground, _"Just getting on the plane now. Son of a bitch in front of me dropped his carry-_ "

"Is he with you?" Dean demanded.

" _Dean-"_

"You know how much he hates -"

_"Yes. I know how much he hates that. The real question is how do you?"_

"Sam Winchester! Is he with you?"

Sam laughed, _"Yes, Dean. We're sitting down now. I even gave him the window."_

Dean leaned against the Impala which was parked outside the garage. "Oh good, he got his own seat."

_"Well, what else was I supposed to do? Let him sit on my lap for two hours?"_

"Can you put him on the phone?" Dean asked hopefully.

Sam scoffed. _"No."_

"Why not?" Dean whined.

_"Oh, come on. You know why not!"_

"I just want to tell him I love him."

_"Oh trust me. He knows. Hey, listen, I have to go. We land at six. Be there. Within the hour."_

"You really think I'm going to be late to see my baby?"

_"Of course. You're never late when Cas is involved."_

"See you in a few hours."

 _"See you,"_ Sam hung up.

Dean slipped his phone in his back pocket before walking back into the shop. He stared at the Falcon for a moment, trying to remember what he had been doing. He gave up. It took about an hour and a half to get the the airport anyway. Two with traffic. If the roads were clear, Dean could pick up some biscuits for Cas. Cas loved biscuits. He'd need some after four days away from Dean and a flight with Sam.

 

Dean leaned against the running Impala in a zone marked "Pick-up/Drop-off only. No parking". He'd been 'not parked' for fifteen minutes, turned the engine off for two short periods of time, but thought of Baby #2 impounded and turned it back in. The glass doors slid open and for the third time since Dean's arrival, a crowd of people flooded from the latest landing. Dean skimmed the crowd for the brown head of his taller than average brother. He finally found him towards the back of the crowd, being dragged by a large dog. As soon as the black Newfoundland caught sight of Dean, he slipped from Sam's grasp and lumbered towards him.

"Cas!" Dean yelled, getting on his knees and spreading his arms. Castiel hit him like the freight train he was and almost knocked him over. He licked Dean's face over and over as Dean laughed and ran his fingers through his fur- of which there was a lot. When Cas was content with the amount of kisses he'd given Dean, he stared into his eyes, tail wagging so hard his entire body shook. Dean grinned at his rare, blue eyed hound.

"Hi. My name is Sam. I'm your brother. What you've got there is a dog. I think you have our roles confused," Sam said, looking down at Cas and Dean. Dean stood and smiled at his brother, but didn't take his hand off the dog's head.

"Hey Sam. Nice flight?"

"Would've been better without the dog breath. But the familiar company was nice."

"Aww!" Dean said, focusing on the dog again, "Your breath is fine!" he looked back up at Sam. “I still can’t believe I let you take him.”

Sam laughed, “Yeah, me neither. Ellen and Jo sure were glad to see him though. Uncle Bobby too, though you know he’d never admit it. I’m fairly sure I caught the old hermit slipping some whiskey in Cas’s water bowel, so I’m sure he felt right at home.”

Dean groaned, “I’m so pissed I couldn’t go. How’s everyone?” he asked as he walked around to the driver’s side of the car. He turned the engine off and pulled out the key.

“Sad you couldn’t make it. They understood though. Work before play.”

Dean opened the trunk and Sam handed him his bag. Cas jumped in the trunk before Dean could get the bag in. Dean laughed and set the bag down to scratch behind Cas’s ears and kiss the top of his head. “You want to go home don’t you? Don’t worry, bud. We’re going straight there. Unless Sammy wants be to drop him off with Jess. But you don’t ride in the trunk, remember? You don’t fit!”

Sam scoffed, “Please. You could fit a body in there if you tried. It’s so weird you have conversations with your dog.”

Dean glared at his brother. “No, you get the whole entire back seat,” he continued, stepping back so the dog could jump out. “Open the door for him, would you Sam?” Dean asked, tossing Sam’s bad in the trunk.

“Only a matter of time before you steal shotgun and I’m kicked to the back,” Sam mumbled at the dog. Dean pulled the key out of the trunk’s keyhole and walked back around the car to get in the driver’s seat. Sam shut the back door and stepped in the passenger seat. Cas sat on the back seat but his paws were on the floor. His chin rested on the front seat, in between Sam and Dean.

“You stayin’ with me or Jess tonight?” Dean asked.

“I told Jess I’d stay with her,” Sam said, looking at his phone. “I have to do some laundry at your place first, though.”

“What- you afraid of Jess seein’ your dirty underwear?” Dean teased.

“Man, I really need to figure out where I live,” Sam said.

Cas whimpered.

“Oh, I know buddy, just wait til we get out of the city and I’ll pull over. I don’t get why you don’t just move in with Jess like you did at Stanford.”

“All my shit is at your place,” he said, tapping away at his phone again. Probably texting Jess.

Dean scoffed, “That is such bull. You’ve got everything you need at both houses.”

“I don’t know. I’m just not comfortable with the commitment, you know?”

“You lived with her for four years while you were going to Stanford.”

“Yeah, but then I proposed and she wasn’t ready and things got weird. I don’t know if I’m ready to live with her full time again. I don’t know if she’s ready for it.”

“So you just live with her half the time. Because that is so much less weird,” Dean said.

“You know what, Dean? It’s my life. You can’t force me to move in with my girlfriend. You don’t know what’s really going on between us, there’s no way you could know what’s really happening. Stop pretending you know what’s best for my relationship when you haven’t even been in one that lasted more than two months since- ever!”

Dean bit his lip, a little upset Sam had brought that up. Dean had major commitment issues. He was content finding hot chicks at bars and remaining king of the one-night stand. “Little touchy, eh?” he said, disguising how upset he was with humor. “Would I be wrong to guess you two are having a bit of trouble?”

Sam chewed his cheek and set his phone down on his leg, but didn’t look at Dean. He stared out his window. “No, actually, we’re doing great. Better than great. She… is very happy.”

“But you’re not?” Dean guessed, watching the road. Or rather, the car in front of him. Cas whimpered again. Dean reached behind him and stroked the dog’s head.

“No. Exactly the opposite. I love Jess. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Dean scoffed.

“What?”

“So, what? Does she want kids? Does she sleep with the TV on now? She wants to get a little more adventurous in the bedroom.”

“No. Dean! Shut up! It’s nothing like that, we’re both happy. Really, we’re great.”

“Then move the fuck in with her!”

Sam sighed. “She wants to get married.”

“Great! Get married! Have six kids and… get fat and die of a heart attack at age 75!” Dean exclaimed, taking his hands off the wheel and causing Cas to bark.

“Calm down,” Sam said to the dog. “I just don’t know if I’m ready.”

“Yes!” Dean yelled as he finally broke free of the traffic and sped out of the city. “For fuck’s sake, Sammy. You were ready last year. I mean, I knew you were a girl but completely switching places with Jess-“

“I knew I shouldn’t have said anything,” Sam said, looking back at his phone. “It’s not that big of a deal. I mean, I love her. More than I’ve ever loved anyone. I spend basically every minute with her as it is. I just don’t know if I’ll feel different when I have to spend every minute with her. I don’t want things to change.”

Dean scoffed. “Oh please. You’ll end up hating each other eventually, but before that you get a big expensive ceremony neither of you can afford and you get a steamy honeymoon in the Caribbean before you have to think about how much you couldn’t afford your wedding and then you get to be a hot young couple for a few years before having kids which will distract you from the hatred until they turn eighteen and high-tail it out of there.”

Sam furrowed his brow, “And this is making me want to get married, right?”

Cas whined a few more times.

“I know, I know, I’m pulling over. Just don’t piss in my car, okay? You know how much I love these seats.”

Cas responded with a few more, louder whimpers.

Dean pulled into the nearest turnout and got out of the car. “C’mon Sammy. Jess is perfect for you. You’re not gonna find someone else you click that good with,” he said, opening the door and letting Cas out. “I say, go for it while you still have the chance. She is totally out of your league. If you wait too long… Well, she might just realize it.”

“I hate you,” Sam stated, also getting out of the car to stretch his legs.

“Ready Cas?” Dean asked after a few minutes. At the sound of his name, the giant dog bounded over to his owner. When he reached his destination, he sat down on Dean’s feet. “I’ll take that as a yes you big nerd.” Cas happily jumped back in the car, Dean and Sam followed.

The creak of the Impala’s doors was just loud enough to hear over the cars whooshing by. Sam and Dean sat through the rest of the ride in silence, Sam watching his phone, Dean watching the road. Cas randomly licking Dean’s cheek. It was nice. Everything was normal.

 

Dean unlocked the door to his house and Cas galloped in. The first thing he did was jump on the couch and curl up into a tight ball.

“I thought you weren’t gonna let him on the furniture anymore,” Sam grunted as he struggled through the door with his bag.

“Aw, but look at how excited he was to see the couch! You can’t say no to that!” Dean exclaimed, sitting next to his dog. Cas abandoned his position and rolled onto his back with his head on Dean’s lap. Dean smiled down at him and started rubbing his belly.

“No, _you_ can’t say no to that. You’re a total pushover when it comes to your dog,” Sam said, dropping his bag on the floor.

“Oh just do your laundry so you can get the hell out of our house!” Dean said.

“You’re gonna have to give me a ride, by the way,” Sam informed him. “Jess has the car.”

Dean groaned. “Of course she does. How do you share a car if you don't live together? Aren't you tired of depending on us for rides?" he leaned back against the couch. "Will you please just do your fucking laundry Sam."

"What, do you and Cas need some alone time?" Sam teased, unzipping his bag.

"No, I'm just not driving you home any later than eight thirty."

"Fine. You win. I'll do my laundry at Jess's," Sam snapped. "God you are such an ass."

Dean smiled and jumped up off the couch. "I'm your big brother. It's my job."

"I can't believe I used to live in a car with you," Sam said as he zipped his bag back up and started out the door.

"Hey, it wasn't just the car. We had hotel rooms too," Dean argued as he followed his brother, picking up his car keys on the way. Cas whimpered. "I'll be back in ten, I swear!" Dean whispered as he closed the door behind him.

 

Dean struggled through a car ride with Sam and an awkward encounter with Sam's girlfriend and the drive back to his house. The entire time, he was thinking about getting home and cuddling with Cas. Ordering pizza and watching Netflix all night. He gave himself Sundays off, so he and Cas could sleep as late as they wanted the next day- maybe even go to the dog park. Thoughts like this had Dean smiling as he pulled up to his single story, two bed two bath, termite ridden home, and even as he opened the front door. The smile quickly vanished when, instead of a 125 lb dog, there was a tall naked man sitting cross-legged on his couch.

 


	2. Dean Winchester and the Naked Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything from "Who is that on my couch?" to "Well I'm obviously crazy."

"Who the fuck are you?" Dean roared. "How did you get in my house?"

The naked man knit his eyebrows together, "You don't recognize me?"

"No you maniac! I have a dog-" Dean threatened, looking away from the nude man.

"I know." "Cas?" he called but for the first time, no dog came running.

"What?" the naked man asked, as if he were responding to the dog's name.

"Where is my dog? I'm calling the police!"

The man frowned and started to get off the couch, setting his hands on the ground first. When they touched the ground, they started to transform. By the time his legs were on the floor, he had completely changed into a dog. Into Cas.

Dean blinked and- now, it wasn't his best moment- passed out.

 

When Dean opened his eyes, he was staring at his bedroom ceiling. For the first few seconds, anyway, then he was staring at the face of the man on his couch. He had slightly shaggy black hair and bright blue eyes... just like Cas. He looked concerned. He still didn't seem to be wearing any clothes. Dean started to roll over- he was obviously just dreaming- but the man stopped him.

"Okay," Dean mumbled, "Who _are_ you?"

The man tilted his head slightly, "I thought it was clear."

"No there's a few more things I'd touch on before calling any part of this clear," Dean said, the events of the last time he was conscious beginning to return to him.

"I'm Cas," he said. "I thought you would know," Cas looked out Dena's bedroom window, "You said you loved me. You took me to the park you threw the ball at least twice after you said last time, you got more stressed out than me when you took me to the vet," Cas blinked, and his voice hadn't changed at all, but Dean could tell he was starting to cry. "You let me jump on the furniture and sleep on your bed-"

"This obviously just proves how crazy I am, but I honestly don't think anyone could mimic that kind of pain in the ass crybaby."

"What?" Cas asked, looking back at Dean.

"Could you just explain..." Dean started, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. Cas scooted a little closer, but Dean put his hand out, stopping him. "... Cas? What the hell is going on? Why is my dog suddenly human, why are you nude and... Why am I not wearing the same clothes? Did you undress me and put me in pajamas?"

Cas furrowed his brow, "I thought you'd appreciate it. I've never seen you sleep in jeans."

"You undressed me?" Dean demanded.

Cas tilted his head, he still didn't understand. "Yes."

Dean shook his head, "No, this isn't gonna work. You cannot undress me when I'm unconscious. And you seriously need some clothes."

"Why? You've never had a problem with being nude in front of me before. Or my being nude. You always laughed at the old women who dressed up their dogs and stated- correctly- that they must be extremely uncomfortable."

Dean shook his head again and forced his way past Cas and out of bed. Cas stood right by where he had been sitting on the bed. "Nope," Dean said, "No. This is crazy. I'm crazy, you're certainly crazy, this whole thing is-"

"Crazy?"

Dean looked straight at Cas. "Get out of my house."

"It's my house too. You always said it was my house too." Dean turned away from Cas, trying desperately to avoid the nudity.

"No, no, I told my dog-" he turned back around to see his dog sitting on the floor, looking up at him with those sappy blue eyes. Dean took a deep breath and watched the dog. Cas didn't do anything out of the ordinary for a few seconds, so Dean backed up until he hit his bed stand, never taking his eyes off Cas. He unplugged his phone and dialed Sam's number, all without looking away from the dog.

_"Hello?_ " Jess answered the phone. Of course Jess answered the phone. Dean had called the landline. Sam was probably studying. Crap.

"Hey, Jess, is Sam there?" Dean asked in a hushed voice, like he didn't want Cas to hear. Cas whined and plopped down so he was lying on the ground.

_"Oh! Hey Dean, I was actually meaning to talk to you!"_

"Jess, I really need to talk to my brother."

_"Yeah, I'll get him just hear me out. So I've got this friend, Lisa. She just went through a nasty breakup- she is totally your type! So she's got a kid but I think you'd like him too... Anyway, I set you two up for next Wednesday at seven- your favorite bar, she likes it too, I thought that was a good place to start. I wanted to ask you if you were busy but Sam seemed pretty sure you weren't. I thought we ought to see if we can break that two month record!"_ she chirped. _"I know dates really aren't your thing but-"_

"Yeah, sure, I'll do it. Can you please just get Sam on the phone?" Dean demanded, getting more and more agitated under the stare of his hound.

_"Really? Great! Hey Sammy! Dean wants to talk to you!"_ Jess called. After a few seconds and a little light chatter on the other line, Sam picked up the phone. _"Hey, Dean. What's up?"_

"I think I'm going crazy," Dean whispered harshly. He swore, Cas rolled his eyes.

" _What?"_

"Listen, you're not gonna believe me- hell I don't believe me, but you've got to just hear me out okay?"

_"Dean, what's going on?"_ Dean took a deep breath and started walking out of his room. Cas's eyes followed him wherever he went. "When I got home yesterday," he whispered. "I think it was yesterday... what time is it?"

_"It's... uh... six in the morning. What are you doing awake?"_

Dean finally made it to his door and shot out it. He turned around and Cas was still in the room, lying down. Dean closed the door softly. "I was planning on just hanging out with Cas, you know? Watch a little Netflix, order a pizza-"

_"Your point?"_

"Cas wasn't there."

_"What?"_ Sam demanded. _"You lost Cas? Why did you wait until now to call?"_

"No, no, Sam, wait, it gets worse. Cas wasn't there... but there was a naked man on my couch. And... okay this is where it starts getting crazy. He looked a lot like Cas."

_"The naked man on your couch looked like Cas? Like your your dog? Wait, are you picking up guys now-"_

"Listen to me Sam!" Dean yelled. Sam was silent. "I yelled at him and told him to get out of my house but he wouldn't leave he just..." Dean took a deep breath. There was no way Sam was going to believe him. He was really going to sound crazy. Maybe he really was crazy. "Turned into my dog."

Sam was still silent.

"I'm not so proud of this- but given the circumstances I think it was acceptable... I passed out... so when I woke up this morning he was a dude again and he had been watching me sleep and... Sammy he undressed me."

Sam sighed audibly, _"You're high again,"_ he stated.

"No! Sam you have to believe me!"

_"I told you, I don't care what you do with your free time as long as you don't call me when you're high!"_

"I'm not high!" Dean yelled, but it was too late, "Sam?"

Sam had hung up.

"Fuck!" Dean yelled, throwing his phone across the room. There was a soft knock on the door behind him. The door to his room.

"Can I come out, Dean?" Cas asked.

Dean shook his head. "I'm calling the fucking police."

"And telling them what?" Cas asked, his deep, monotonous voice muffled by the door. "If Sam thought you were high, what will the authorities think?"

Dean closed his eyes in silent defeat.

"They'll think you're high. If you're lucky. No, they'll probably think you're crazy-"

"Well maybe they'll be right!" Dean snapped.

Cas was silent for a few seconds. "You're not crazy, Dean."

Dean turned around and looked at the door. He reached out towards the handle, but retracted his hand. "If I let you out... are you gonna be a guy or a dog?"

"Human," Cas said.

"Okay, then you need to put something on."

"Why?" Cas asked, he sounded genuinely confused. "I don't have anything."

Dean scoffed, "Just get something out of my closet. I'm not really into seeing any more naked dude today."


	3. ...Blue Ties and Trench Coats, Cars and Led Zeppelin, These are a Few of My Favorite Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's a bit short...

Dean hammered on the door, "The hell's taking you so long?"

As soon as he finished the last word, the door opened and Cas stood in front of him. Only a few inches in front of him. They were silent for a moment, Cas waiting for Dean to speak, Dean waiting for the distance between them to somehow grow. Finally, he took a step back and looked at Cas.

"What in the name of- what are you wearing?"

Cas looked down at his body, then back up. "I like it." He was wearing Dean's best- and only suit with a backwards blue tie over a trench coat he must have found in some dusty corner because Dean didn't think he'd seen it before in his life.

"You look like you're going to a funeral. Where did you find a trench coat?"

Cas looked down again, "You complained about my nudity and now you're complaining about my choice of clothes. You don't complain this much when I'm in dog form. If it weren't so cramped I would just stay-"

Dean held up a hand to stop him. "No. Let's not talk about the whole... changing into a dog thing okay? Look, I- I have to get to work," he said, starting to walk away from Cas and towards the door.

"No you don't, it's Sunday," Cas said, tilting his head a little. When Dean looked back, he was still standing in the doorway.

"Well... I _want_ to get to work."

"No you don't, it's Sunday," Cas repeated.

Dean looked back again, stopping this time. "No, I really do. Work- that's normal. Cars I get. There's no transforming into dogs no naked men no... trench coats," he turned around and continued to the door. "Stay here. Or... leave. I don't know, do whatever. Steal something if it means you'll leave and my life goes back to normal."

"What life do you have without your dog?" Cas called, still in the doorway to Dean's room.  
Dean stopped with his hand on the handle. He sighed and bowed his head. "Work," he said, without looking back. He opened the door and walked through it. He closed the door and grinned at his car. "You gonna turn into a person now too?" he asked. "You'd be one hot chick," he mumbled as he slid in the driver's seat. _But then, he's one hot guy,_ said a voice in the craziest corner of his mind. "Wow," Dean said aloud. "I am seriously a headcase."

 

"Dammit that is so not normal," Dean growled as he pulled up to his shop and tried to force the Impala into park. "Fucking steering column!" he sighed. "Why can I never get it right?" He gave up on park- the emergency brake should be able to handle it- and got out of the car.

"Is that the creaking door of the Impala I love?" the voice of Dean's most dedicated worker echoed through the massive garage, Dean was parked by the entrance. There was the sound of something rolling and an average height woman with short dirty blonde hair, a dirty face, dirty jeans and Led Zeppelin t-shirt and striking blue eyes that contrasted the muddy colors that surrounded her otherwise popped up from under a robin's egg blue 1964 Comet. "The hell are you doin' here, Dean? It's a Sunday. What are you even doing awake?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know, Gee. Guess I just don't have anything better to do." Gee was the girlfriend of a close friend of the Winchester brothers- littler sister, really- Charlie. She'd been in desperate need of a job and Dean of a worker so they'd decided on on-the-job training. She didn't really need much training of any kind, she loved what she did and was very good at it. Dean was able to trust both cars and clients to her. "Now that... that's just insulting," Dean said, gesturing to her shirt.

Gee looked down at her shirt. "What? You love Led Zeppelin."

Dean shook his head, "There's grease and rust all over it! That's like rubbing an American flag in the mud. The hell are you thinking?"

Gee scoffed. "You gonna keep me chatting all day or can I get back to work?"

Dean waved a hand in her general direction and started to climb the stairs to the office he never used.

"No Cas today?" Gee called from under the car. "Didn't Sam bring him back last night?"

Dean clenched his jaw. He'd come here to escape Cas. It was his own fault for bringing his dog to work every day of his life. "Who's keeping who from working now?" Dean yelled back.

"Oh, did you two have a falling out?" she teased.

"You might say that," Dean mumbled to himself, finally entering his office. He glanced at the stacks of paper and car magazines and books and plopped down in his chair. Maybe the answer to the Impala's steering column problem was in one of those books. If only he could find the answer the the Cas problem in a book.


End file.
